


Beside Yourself

by berrybundance



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 17:31:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3577965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berrybundance/pseuds/berrybundance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Though it hasn't been long since Oz returned from the Abyss, Gilbert still, always, longed to see that beautiful face that was worth more to the raven-haired man than he was to himself. He'd been given much time alone to think within the four years of waiting, even more during the ten prior to that, and had finally, finally decided to tell Oz what he needed to hear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beside Yourself

**Author's Note:**

> WE'RE BACK! After the Pandora Hearts' manga series ended, I decided to make things even happier, though I'm still super upset inside. This takes place after about half a year after Oz and Gilbert have been reunited.

Gilbert strode down the hallway, running through the crowds of people grouped together. Panting lightly, he fixed his tie and loosened it a bit as well. He grit his teeth and made many apologies along the way, continuing his way up the stairs and down yet another corridor full of chattering people. The bright, shimmering lights coming from the chandeliers above were starting to give him a migraine. Oh, how he hoped to find him soon. 

Attending this final party for Oz and Alice's return was a beautiful sight to see if you weren't actually going to join. Everyone around him was dressed in formal clothing. Women in corsets and men with cravats... Even men with more that one tied around their neck. People danced in the middle of the small ballroom, giggling and cheering. Many people Gilbert recognized were there, such as Sharon and her grandmother, Sheryl, who were standing on the far end of the room in a corner, clapping and smiling. 

Turning sharply around a corner, he bumped into a slightly taller male, only causing the older to be pushed back a bit, while falling completely down himself. Agitated, he gives his condolences and stands abruptly, nearly knocking the man off balance. He grabbed his arm before he fell and blinked through his messy bangs. He released the man's hand only to bring his own upward to brush his bangs out of the way.

"Reim-san...?" Gilbert spoke, huffing, his voice slightly hoarse. He stepped back a bit to regain his posture. "Sorry, Iー" He cut himself off to keep from sounding too foolish.

"Ah, no need to apologize, Gilbert-kun," He smiled softly and fixed his glasses. "You seemed to be in quite a hurry though, so I don't mean to take up your time," Reim shuffled his weight around for a brief moment, tapping the front of his shoe on the floor. "but, where were you heading off to?"

"Um... There's a room...? Someone is... Oz is..." He held up his hand for a moment of wait as he leaned down to catch his breath. Wearing this tight, formal getup was extremely irritating. He could hardly run, let alone walk far without taking brief pauses every now and then to relax. 

"Oz-sama is... waiting for you?" Reim asked. Gilbert only nodded. "I see. Then please be sure to take caution. There are children here, and I wouldn't want either of you getting hurt if you're going to be running around like this. Though, I suppose you shouldn't be running in such a place at all. But do as you will."

"Y-yeah..." Gilbert tried to smile.

"Also, have you seen Sharon-sama around?" The brunet asked, pulling the cuffs of his sleeves down his wrists.

"She's in the ballroom with her grandmother, I think." The raven scratched the back of his head. "That's where I last saw her, anyway."

"Oh, thank you, Gilbert-kun. I'll be seeing you soon, then. Come down with Oz-sama when you're ready. We're going to be serving food in a while."

"Mm," Gilbert nodded as the taller man bowed. Reim waved Gilbert off, his footsteps echoing down the empty hallway until they were no longer heard. Gilbert regained his composure and leaned against the wall, waiting as patiently as he could for this heated state to pass. Surely he couldn't meet up with Oz looking like... this. 

Hot and sweaty, messy hair that stuck up in more places than usual. Although, with Gilbert's luck, there was a small washroom nearby. Inside, he removed his glove and rinsed his face, exhaling sharply while looking at himself in the mirror. His cheeks were flushed. But to his surprise, he didn't look as bad as he'd expected. Turning off the faucet, he grabbed the towel hanging from the small, golden rack, dried his face evenly, and hung it back up. 

Once back into the hallway, Gilbert couldn't help but sigh at the fact that he'd almost reached peace by where he was now.

Almost.

Oz was still waiting. 

He still needed Oz.

He fixed his collar and walked down the hallway, much slower this time, and smiled to himself at the sight of the blond in his mind. 

Though it hasn't been long since Oz returned from the Abyss, Gilbert still, always, longed to see that beautiful face that was worth more to the raven-haired man than he was to himself. He'd been given much time alone to think within the four years of waiting, even more during the ten prior to that, and had finally, finally decided to tell Oz what he needed to hear. Stupid as it was, he actually went around asking Sharon and Vincent what one would and wouldn't like to hear, from the different points of view of the opposite gender, when his brother was around those rare times to help, anyhow. He knew then, from deep within his heart, Oz would come back. He always had.

Whether they were playing hide and seek as younger children and Oz got bored and went back inside to ask his uncle for something to eat, leaving Gilbert alone outside, he'd still come back. Whether he was angry with Gilbert and ran away, muttering to himself under his breath, he'd still come back. Whether they got into trouble with one of the Vessalius house maids and were sent to different rooms to ponder their wrong doings, he'd still come back.

... And even now, though he completely vanished from the world for what seemed like hundreds of years, leaving the man, the servant who cared so much about this one boy, alone in the world, he still came back.

Gilbert himself didn't believe he had the right to devote his entire being to the blond. He'd always thought of himself as much, much lower, not due to the fact that, throughout all these years, he's remained his servant, but to the fact that he just seemed like nothing compared to him. This one, innocent being, was treated as though he was good for absolutely nothing, worthless, and told that his being born alone is what caused this entire tragedy. His father didn't even think of him enough to even call him by his given name. So what right did Gilbert have to overachieve his master's father's unregarded solicitude for Oz?

Every.

Turning those past thoughts around and focusing more on what's actually happening now, he'd cared more for Oz than Oz did himself. They we're almost exact opposites when it came to something like that. He'd been there for Oz when not even Alice or Sharon could help. And Oz spoke, giving Gilbert the feeling of the boy giving himself, his all, to his servant. Gilbert felt that his purpose was for Oz and Oz alone. 

His purpose being to make Oz feel like he was actually worth something.

Shaking his head and curling his fingers on the cold, silver doorknob before him, he inhaled. Turning the handle, he closed his eyes for a brief moment as he entered. He opened them just in time to see small blond rays turn in such a way that is indescribably beautiful. It was tinted with the lightest of blues pouring out of the curtain to the far left. The moonlight shone in his eyes as well, making them glimmer with pure rapture, and lighting the room up enough for Gilbert to see a small figure standing but seven feet from him by a large bed. As his eyelids raised and they stared at each other, time seemed to stop. The Vessalius heir clutched the long, dark fabric in his hands and felt his eyes sting. 

He'd been waiting for only a couple of hours up here for the raven, but he'd never gotten the time to be completely alone with him. This feeling caused Oz' breath to hitch as a small gasp escaped his throat. When the man first entered, Oz' back was facing him, so he turned on his heel to be able to completely view Gilbert from the point of view he loved. 

Every.

"Gil... bert..." Oz' voice was small and hushed as he spoke, his words dusted with much bigger meanings. Gilbert ran forward, shutting the door behind him, and reached his arm out to embrace the boy in a strong, warm hug. Dropping the cloth, Oz breathed in the nostalgic scent of his servant, wrapping both arms fully around the man and smiling as tears streamed down his tightly shut eyes. "Gilbert, Gilbert, Gilbert." 

The man tightened his grip, a quiet, yet somehow loud, pleased noise came from his mouth in an airy sort of way. He listened to the small heartbeat that came from the small chest of the boy just below him. The small chest that was pressed up against his, consoling and welcoming. The small chest that no longer had the impure printing of an illegal contractor's seal. 

He pulled back just a bit, not being able to be apart from him for much longer without parting from his sanity as well, and lifted the blond's head up with a light tap of his index finger on his chin. Gilbert kissed Oz on his left cheek that seemed to be glowing a small tint of red, radiating a bit of heat. Gilbert did the same with the other side, then to each of Oz' teary eyes and his forehead. He moved away to be in full view of the mesmerizing blond. His pale green eyes focused deeply on the golden ones staring directly back at him. As the Vessaluis heir blinked, tears fell from either side at opposite times, grazing down his subtle, yet rosy, cheeks. Oz stood on the tips of his toes just as Gilbert leaned down as if they both knew. Their soft, warm lips hastily pressed against one another, neither hesitating at first. Before repositioning, he carefully wiped the tears from his eyes.

Gilbert cupped the back of Oz' neck, bringing him in closer as he deepened the kiss further, slowly moving on to more of that of an open-mouthed one. The raven's tongue gently prodded the younger's bottom lip and he gasped, creating a small entrance for his servant. Oz' hands clenched onto the fabric of the front of Gilbert's shirt tightly as the man's tongue wandered around his mouth lovingly. When reached, Gilbert's danced around the blond's casing shivers to trail up his spine and a soft gasp of a moan threaten to escape his mouth. 

Unfortunately, the kiss didn't last long at the time, but their intimacy was endless. 

Gilbert was the first to pull back, not wanting to get too carried away too quickly. He resumed hugging Oz, and almost started crying himself, but held back. Gilbert sat on the bed shortly after with Oz to his left, leaning on his upper shoulder. Gilbert's gaze averted all else but the being before him as he stroked stray blond hairs behind his ear. Oz chuckled lightly and held the raven's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. 

"Hey, Gil..." Oz said, his eyes only half-lidded. 

"Yes, Oz?" Gilbert replied as he squeezed the blond's hand in a comforting sort of gesture. 

"What took you so long?" 

"I ran into Reim along the way." He blinked. "Er, not really ran into, butー"

"You were running down the halls?" Oz grinned. Gilbert sighed.

"Yes." He admitted, breathing through his nose. "When I came in, what were you doing holding my jacket?" Oz blushed.

"S-smelling it..." He turned away a bit.

"Smelling...? Why?" Gilbert lightened the mood, assuring Oz it was alright by running his fingers through his hair and returning them to Oz' hands once more.

"It... reminded me of you."

"Did it? What does it smell like?"

"What..? Don't ask! It just smells like Gil, is all." 

"Heh. I see." Gilbert paused, remembering what the main reason for his coming here was. His eyes widened, just for a moment and he looked down at Oz, who's eyes were now closed. 

"Oz," Gilbert broke the silence, his voice low and modulated. 

"Gil?" Oz returned. 

"I've been waiting so long and... now that it seems like it's the perfect time to do so, I also think that I shouldn't. But... since neither one of us has done anything but prove this fact, I'm going to be the first to say something." Gilbert straightened his back.

"Say what?" Oz questioned, readjusting his head on Gilbert's shoulder to get more comfortable. Gilbert took a long intake of breath, much longer than needed, and spoke.

"I love you," 

Oz froze, and Gilbert thought he felt the small body tense up, but was wrong. Oz only smiled and reached up to peck the raven on the cheek. 

"I know." The blond said.

"... You know...?" Gilbert looked back at Oz.

"Yes, I know, silly. And I love you too. More than anything." He gave his servant a warm smile.

"You know..." Gilbert cherished the moment. "How long have you loved me for?"

"You're kinda bad at hiding secrets, Gil. And forever, I suppose. Long before I fell into the Abyss the first time is as far back as I can remember." Oz played with the buttons of the older man's sleeve. "How long have you loved me?" 

"...!" Gilbert was thrown back a bit. He hadn't really thought about his answer to this type of question, for he himself didn't even know when it... this pure want for Oz...

Or he did.

He'd realized it long ago.

"How long?" Gilbert repeated, faintly pushing Oz' back onto the bed. He hovered over him, shielding the breathtaking emerald eyes from the moonlight. Oz looked up at the smiling raven.

...

"Since I've been by your side."


End file.
